SU remembers King

The legacy and life of Coretta Scott King, widow of slain civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated on Southern’s campus Wednesday.
During a memorial service in the Cotillion Ballroom at the Smith-Brown Memorial Union, student’s, faculty and members of Southern’s community listened to songs and tributes honoring King.
“She left a legacy of sacrifice for the common good,” said Chancellor Edward R. Jackson. “The dream was the most important Dream of our life time and she fought to keep it alive.”
King, 78, died Jan. 31 of respiratory failure, related to cancer and the latest of a series of strokes in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.
Charles Bryant, pastor of Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Opelousas, spoke about her accomplishments and Reuben Griffin, a sophomore political science major from Garland, Texas sang a gospel song.
“It was a sorrowful yet joyous way to open Black History Month,” said Student Government President Justin McCorkle, ” – It’s important to honor a woman as important as Correta Scott-King.”
The memorial was just one of many given throughout the nation since King’s death. Associated Press reports state about 200 people came to the Atlanta University Center Wednesday to honor her in a candlelight vigil on the campus of her husband’s alma mater.
King’s funeral will be held at noon on Feb. 7 at the 10,000-seat New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta. The church is also where the Kings’ youngest daughter, Bernice, is a minister. King will be buried in Southview Cemetery, located in southeast Atlanta.
Although the King family has not commented on the arrangements, The King Center released a statement Wednesday that said the family will hold a news conference in “the next few days to discuss the status of arrangements and ‘possibly’ preliminary autopsy results.”
Associated Press staff reports were contributed to this story.